Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for monitoring one or more air treatment assemblies of a vehicle, such as an aircraft.
Various vehicles include internal cabins in which operators and/or passengers may be seated. For example, a commercial airplane includes an internal cabin that is configured to seat hundreds of passengers. During operation of the aircraft, the temperature of the cabin is controlled so that the passengers and operator(s) are comfortable. Often, an aircraft includes an environmental control system (ECS) to control the temperature and pressure within the cabin.
A known ECS includes a heat exchanger and a fan. The heat exchanger is positioned within a duct, and the fan draws ambient air through the heat exchanger to cool treated air before it enters the cabin. For example, the heat exchanger may receive bleed air that is ported from a compressor of a vehicle engine or an electrically-drive compressor and cool the bleed air with ambient air.
Over the life of an ECS, one or more of the air treatment assemblies, such as a heat exchanger, may accumulate and retain contaminants. The retained contaminants may block or otherwise restrict airflow to a point at which thermal energy transfer is prevented, thereby leading to a failure of the assembly or system. In general, the contaminants may clog the air treatment assembly, thereby decreasing the efficiency and overall effectiveness of the ECS. Passengers and operators may become uncomfortable due to the malfunctioning ECS. Typically, a malfunctioning air treatment assembly is noticed when the temperature within a space, such as a cabin within an aircraft, becomes uncomfortable. Contaminated air treatment assemblies may also restrict air flow to such an extent that secondary equipment degradation, such as cavitation in fan air flow patterns, occurs. After it is determined by an operator that an air treatment assembly is malfunctioning, the air treatment assembly is cleaned or replaced, which may lead to the vehicle being taken out of service during the maintenance operation.
Accordingly, a need exists for monitoring an ECS, for example, to determine whether one or more components need to be replaced.